Rotary air compressor



Dec. 14 1926. I 1.611.030 H. s. HELE-SHAW ET AL ROTARY AIR COMPRESSOR Filed Feb. 13. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 14 1926. 1,511,030 v H. S. 'HELE-SHAW ET AL ROTARYVAIR COMPRESSOR Filed Feb. 13. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I L "52 05 2 260 5'7 57 v 51/ 51 3 51-,

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H. S. HELE-SHAW ET AL ROTARY AIR COMPRESSOR Filed Feb. 15. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dec. 14, 1926.

UNITED STATES HENRY snLBY HELn-sHaw Aim THOMAS EDWARD BEAcHKM, or LONDON,

ENGLAND.

ROTARY QAIR COMPRESSOR.

- i Application filed February 13, 1925, Seria1-No; $,948, and in Great Britain March 28, 1 i

.This invention relates to rotary air compumps whereby the efficient working and lubrication thereof are ensured.

The present invention comprises a gas or vapour compressor having a cylinder carrier and a cylindrical valve rotating relatively to one another, wherein the joint between the cylinder carrier and the valve is sealed by a lubricant.

i A further feature of the invention comprises a separator or eliminator for separatmg oil or other lubricant-from air or gas consisting of a series of vertical rods arranged ina receptacle into which or through which the air or gas is passedthe vertical rods being arranged to cause the stream of air or gas to take a sinusoidal path and so intercept and collect. therefrom the oil and allow it to drain down the rods to the bottom of the separator.

It is proposed to create a film'ofliquid between the working surfaces in order to prevent gas leakage, in the following manner. A reservoir of oil, lycerine ,or other liquid is formed in a suitable position which leseryoir is under the final gas pressure, a passage being led from this store of liquid to. passages in the central valve communicating with suitably arranged holes or grooves in its surface.

will then force the liquid along the central valve and into the valve ports andoylinders and thus maintain a liquid seal. Any liquid which passes the pistons or the end of the valve drains to the bottom of the case from which it is picked up by the air suction,- carried through the compressor and up into the reservoir mentioned above. The oil may be picked up by suction by forming a choke tube in the suction inlet of the pump capable of creating suflicient vacuum by Venturi action to lift the oil the required amount,

cooled'by meansof suitable water jackets or by air fins.

The pressure ,in the reservoir An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is asectional elevation through the pump and separator,

Figure 2 a transverse sectional view through the cylinders and'valve at the high pressure cylinders through a.-a.

Figure 3 is a sectional view through the 'valve at the low pressure cylinders through b-b.- i I Figure 4 is aplan view of a portion of the oil collector or separator illustrating the path of the air,

Figure 5 isa perspective view of the valve, and Figure 6 is a View of one end of the compressor casing showing the air cooling passages.

In these drawings 2() is the main cylindrical portion of the compressor casing having water cooling passages 21. On one end of the casing 20,is bolted an end plate 22 having at its central portion a hole provided with a ball bearing 23 in which rotates a power shaft 24, driven from any suitable source of power. At the other end of the casing is fixed a plate 25 provided with a central cylindrical extension 26 forming a 'fixe'd valve fitting in a bore in a cylinder carrier 27 which is formed as an extension of the power shaft 24.

The cylinder carrier 27 is bored at two diametrically opposite places to form low pressure cyhndersC and C inwhich reciprocate pistons'28 and 29, and at right angles to these low pressure cylinders the carrier is boredat two diametrically opposite places to form high pressure cylinders C and C in which reciprocate pistons 30 and 31.

Each piston is provided with a gudgeon pin 32, of considerable size compared with the piston'and fits in holes in bosses 34 provided in the sides of the pistons which are of the truncated type. At each end of the dgeon pins 32 a groove 35 is cut away on its inner side in such manner asto leave upper portions adapted to slide in slots 36 provided in opposite sides of the cylinders. The portions of the gudgeon pins projecting beyond the sides of the cylinders are provided with cranked or eccentric pins 37 provided with roller bearings 38 onwhich are mounted rollers 39 which roll in grooves in rings 40, there being a ring 40 at each end of the gudgeon pin The rings 40 may be divided, and the rollers substituted by slides, slippers or equivalent devices.

The rings tO'are recessed to receive the outer races of ball bearings 41, the inner races of these ball bearings being mounted on eccentric projections 42 extending from the inner faces of the end plates 22 and 25.

By this construction as the power shaft 24 rotates it carries round the cylinder car rier 27 and also the pistons and gudgeon pins 32 and their rollers 39 round in the grooves in the rings 40, and as these rings are mounted on the fixed eccentrics 42 the pistons are reciprocated radially in regular sequence.

The low pressure cylinders C and C are provided with ports 50 and 50 in their inner ends, and the high pressure cylinders with similar ports 51, 51 each opening on to the outer surface of the fixed ,central valve 26, the ports 50 and 50 being out of circumferential alignment with the ports 51 and 51 The ports 50 and 50 of the low pressure zylinders rotate over ports 52 and arranged at opposite sides of the valve 26 (see Fig. 3) 52 being connectedby a passage 54 in the valve and a passage 56 in the shaft 24. to an\ air inlet 55, while 53 is connected by a longitudinal passage 57 to a sinuous cooling passage 58 in a plate 69 fixed on the end plate 25 of the casing 20 (see Fig; 6).

The ports 51 and 51 of the high pressure cylinder rotate over ports 60 and 61 arranged at opposite sides of the valve 26 (see Fig. 2) 61 being connected by a longitudinal passage 62 with an opening in the plate 25 adapted to register during the rotating oi the valve 26 with a port 72 in the plate 69 at the other end of the cooling passage 58, while the valve port 60 is connected by a longitudinal passage 59 to an opening in the plate 25 adapted to register during the rotating of the valve with an inlet 7;} to a'final sinuous cooling passage 63 in the plate 69. the outlet 74 of this passage being connected to a pipe 64 leading to a separator in which the oil is separated from the air before it passes through an outlet 71 into a compressed air reservoir or to any desired motor or apparatus for direct use.

The low pressure cylinders C C are eoaxial at opposite sides of the valve 26 so that when the port 50 of the cylinder C is open through the valve port 52 to the air inlet the port 50 of the cylinder C will be open through the valve port 53 to the cooler 58, and the high pressure cylinders C and C are at right angles to C and C and also coairial 'at opposite sides of the valve 26 so that when the port 51 of the cylinder C is open through the valve port The continued rotation oi the valve 26 closesthe valve port 52 and opens the valve port 53 to the cylinder C. so that during the instroke ot' the piston 28 air compressed and passes through the port 53-and along the longitudinal valve passage 57 into the cooling passage 58 in the end plate 69. The outlet of the cooling passage 58 terminates in an opening in the plate 69 which when brought into register with a longitudinal valve passage 59 during the outstroke of the piston 81 places the passage 58 in communication with the higlrpressure cylinder C through the valve port 60 and cylinder port 51 (see Fi s. 1 and 2), and during the instrolte ot' the piston 31 ot the high pressure cylinder the cylinder carrier 27 rotates to such a position thatthe cylinder port 51 will register with the valve port 61 which opens into a valve passage 62 of which the other end is broughtinto register with the second cooling passage 63 in the plate 69.

The eliminator or separzuor 70 consists of a horizontal cylindrical vessel having an inlet connected to the compressed air delivery pipe 64 and contains a series of vertical rods 81 supported between two horizontal plates 82 and 83, aperforated distributing plate 84 being fixed in the cylinder over the inlet 80 so that all the air will pass through this plate before passing between the rods. The rods 81 are arranged in rows as shown in Figure 4, each row being opposite the spaces of the next row so that air pasing through these rods will take a sinuous path as shown by the arrows.

The air passing through the eliminator encounters the rods and deposits the suspended oil on the rods, this oil drains down the rods into the space below them, while the clean air passes through the outlet 71. These vertical rods 81 must be sufiicieutly close together to insure all the oil .t'rom the passing air collected on them, they must however, also be sufficient y far apart to prevent the collected oil be ng taken up by the passing air, that is their dimensions,

numher and disposition must be such as to prevent the air passing between them at a velocity that will not be high enough to efiect a scouring of the rods. or too low and so pass round the rods without depositing the oil. r

The oil from the separator 70 passes down through a pipe 85 to a longitudinalpassage and also with an outlet passage 86 in the valve 26 (see Figs. 2 and 5). The passage 86 branches off through radial holes 87 to circumferential grooves 88 provided on .the valve surface, each of these surface grooves 88 being provided with branches 89 leading to the line of ports to ensure the format-ion of a complete oil film round the valve 26. i

The valve 26 is provided with circulating cooling waterspaccs 90 communicating by a passage-'91 with a water supply pipe 92,

conducts. the water to a space 94: between the end platev 25' and the cooler plate 69. The water then passes through passages not shown to the water jackets 21 of the casing and is discharged through the outlet pipe 95.

Theoi-l collected by the rods 81 drains to the bottom of the casing 20 in a well 96, which communicates by a passage 97 in the end plate 22 with radial openings 98 in the shaft 24 and which open into the air passage 56 so that during the rotation of the shaft oil will be drawn into this passage carried with the air into the cylinders and thereby lubricate the pistons; In cases 'where it is desired to compress a gas from or to a pressure which may vary considerably, nonreturn' valves may be arranged between any of the intermediate and final receivers, so that in the event of the final pressure being reached in an intermediate cylinder the latter is enabled to discharge direct into the high pressure passage.

The case may be in communication with either suction, discharge or an intermediate pressure, and the shaft passing through the case fitted with a gland which gland may be fed with oil from the pressure reservoir to .form a liquid sealat this point.

The cylinders instead of being arranged in diametrically opposite pairs as shown in the drawings may be arranged at any suitable angle to one another.

lVhat we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A rotary'air or gas compressor, comprising high and low pressure cylinders, a rotary cylinder-carrier, a fixed cylindrical valve having inlet and outlet passages, and a gas cooler the cylinder carrier being provided with passages leading from the cylindersi to the valve about which it rotates to place theoutlet from a low pressure cylinder in communication with the cooler and then the cooler in communication with the inlet of a high pressure cylinder, and then the outlet of the high-pressure cylinder in communication with the compressed air delivery outlet.

2. A rotary air or gas compressor, comprising high and low pressure radial cylinders. a rotary cylinder carrier, a fixed cylindrical valve having ports and inlet and 93 which sure pairs outlet passages connected thereto, and a gas cooler, the outer ends of the cylinders being open and their inner ends provided wit passages leading to a bearing face of the cylinder carrier on the valve, the cylinder carrier rotating on the valve to place the low pressure cylinder in communication with the cooler and then the cooler in communication with the high pressure cylinder, and then the high pressure cylinder in communication with the compressed air delivery outlet.

3. A rotary air or gas compressor, comprising a plurality, of high and low pressure cylinders, a'rotary cylinder carrier, a fixed cylindrical valve having inlet and outlet passages connected thereto, and a gas cooler, the cylinders being arranged in diametrically opposed high pressure and low presin the carrier and the carrier provided with passages leading from the cylinders to oppositely disposed ports in the valves about which it rotates to place first one lowpressure cylinder in communication with the cooler and then the cooler in communication with the high pressure cylinder, and then the high pressure cylinder in communication with the compressed air delivery outlet and during the same sequence of operations to place'the opposite low pressure cylinder in communication with the air supply and the opposite high-pressure cylinder in communication with the corresponding low. pressure cylinder.

,4. A rotary air and gas compressor, comprising high and low pressure cylinders, a rotary cylinder carrier, a'fixed cylindrical valve having inlet andoutlet passages connected thereto. and two gas coolers, the cylinder carrier being provided with passages leading from the cylinders to the valve about which it rotates to place the low pressure cylinder in communication with one of A the coolers and then this cooler in communication with the high pressure cylinder, and then 'thehigh pressure cylinder in communication with the other cooler and from which the compressed air is delivered.

5. A rotary air or gas compressor, comprising; high and low pressure radial cylinders. a rotary cylinder carrier a fixed cylindrical valve having ports and inlet and outlet passages connected thereto, and two gas coolers, the outer ends of the cylinders being open and their inner ends provided with passages leading to a bearing face of the cylinder carrier on the valve, the cylinder carrier rotating on the valve to place the low pressure cylinder in communication with one of the coolers and then to place this cooler incommunication with the high pressure cylinder and then the high pressure cylinder in comn'iunicatio-n with the second cooler from which the compressed air is delivered.-

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6. A rotary air or gas compressor, comprising a plurality of high and low-pressure cylinders, a rotary cylinder carrier, a fixed cylindrical valve having inlet and outlet passages connected thereto, and two gas coolers, the cylinders being arranged in diametrically opposed high pressure and low pressure pairs in the carrier and the carrier provided with passages leading from the cylinders to oppositely disposed ports in the valve about which it rotates to place first one low pressure cylinder in communication with one of the coolers and then to place this cooler in communication with the high pressure cylinders, and then the high pressure cylinder in communication with the second cooler from which the compressed air is delivered, and during the same sequence of operations to place the opposite low pressure cylinder in communication with the air supply and the opposite high pressure cylinder in communication with the corresponding low pressure cylinder.

7. A rotary air or gas compressor having one or more pairs of high and low pressure cylinders on a carrier rotating on a fixed cylindrical valve of which the ports and passages are so arranged that air or gas from each low pressure cylinder is discharged through a cooler into a high pressure cylinder, and from each high pressure cylinder through a cooler to a separator in Which the oil is separated from the air.

8. A rotary air or gas compressor, comprising a casing having cooling water circulating jackets and passages, high and low pressure cylinders, a rotary cylinder carrier, a fixed cylindrical valve having inlet and outlet air or gas passages and cooling water circulating passages, and a gas cooler, the cylinder carrier being provided with assages leading from the cylinder to the valve about which it rotates to place the low pres sure cylinder in communication with the cooler and the cooler in communication with the high pressure cylinder, and then the high pressure cylinder in communication with the compressed air delivery outlet, the cooling jacket and passages of the casing being permanently in series with those of the valve.

9. A rotary air or gas compressor in accordance with claim 7, having one or more pairs of radial low pressure cylinders disposed co-axially on opposite sides of the valve, and one or more pairs of similarly disposed high pressure cylinders arranged at right angles to the low pressure cylinders on the carrier.

10. A rotary, air or gas compressor in accordance with claim 7, wherein the coolers are in the form of sinuous passages in a plate secured'to one of the end plates of the casing of the compressor.

11. A rotary air or gas compressor comprising high andlow pressure cylinders, a rotary cylinder carrier, a fixed cylindrical valve havinginlet and outlet air or gas passages and lubricating passages to annular grooves in its cylindrical surface, a gas cooler and an oil separator, the cylindrical carrier being provided with passages leading from the cylinder to the valve about which it rotates to place the low pressure cylinder in communication with the cooler and the cooler in communication with the high pressure cylinder, and then the high pressure cylinder in communication with the separator, the oil from the separator being forced by the compressed air through the lubricating passages in the annular gr00vcs in the valve face.

12. A rotary air ,or gas compressor. comprising high and low pressure cylinders, a rotary cylinder carrier, a fixed cylindrical valve having inlet and outlet air or gas passages and lubricating passages to its cylindrical surface, a gas cooler and an oil separator, the cylinder carrier being provided with passages leading from the cylinder to the valve about which it rotates to place the low pressure cylinder in communication with the cooler and the cooler in communication with the high pressure cylinder, and then the high pressure cylinder in communication with the separator, the oil from the separator being forced by the compressed air through the lubricating passages of the valve.

13. A rotary air or gas compressor, comprising high and low? pressure cylinders mounted radially on a rotary carrier and having pistons operated by gudgeon pins extending laterally into fixed eccentric rings, a fixed cylindrical valve having inlet and outlet passages, the outer ends of the cylinder being open and their inner ends provided with passages leading to a bearingface of the cylinder carrier on the valve, and the gudgeon pins of the pistons porvided with undercut grooves the sides of which pass down the sides ot iithe open ends of the cylinders.

14. A rotary airor gas compressor as in claim 1, having a rotating cylinder carrier carrying a number of radial cylinders rotating on a fixed cylindrical valve on which the ports and passages are so arranged that air or gas from each low pressure cylinder is discharged through intermediate receivers into higher pressure cylinders and finally into the separator or discharge pipe.

15. A rotary air or gas compressor in accordance with claim 14 in which there are one or more coolers in the form of sinuous passages arranged in intermediate r final passages formed in aplate secured to or acting as an end plate of the casing of the compressor.

16; A rotary air or gas compressor in accordance with claim 14 wherein the ends of the gudgeon pins carry rollers running in circular grooves or pathways, in separate floating rings running on bearings on nonrotary eccentrics fixed in the compressor casing. 1 1

17. A rotary air or gas compressor; comprising a rotary carrier having radial high and low pressure cylinders of which the pistons are operated by gudgeon pins extending laterally into fixed eccentric rings,

a fixed cylindrical valve having inlet and outlet passages, theouter ends of the cyl-- inders being open and their inner ends provided with assages leading to a hearing face of the cy inder carrier on the valve, and the gudgeon pins of the pistons provided with cranked ends carrying rollers and extending into grooves in the eccentric rings.

In witness'whereof We afiix our signatures.

HENRY SELBY 'HELE-SHAW. THOMAS EDWARD BEACHAM. 

